S3658-118

Passed Senate

To promote space situational awareness and space traffic coordination and to modify the functions and leadership of the Office of Space Commerce, and for other purposes.

118th Congress Introduced Jan 25, 2024

Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.

Summary

What This Bill Does

This bill assigns the Department of Commerce responsibility for space situational awareness and traffic coordination. It requires Commerce to provide free public access to space object tracking data and basic collision avoidance services while protecting the private sector market.

Who Benefits and How

Satellite operators receive free basic space situational awareness services. Public gains access to unclassified space object database. Commercial space industry is protected from government competition.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Commerce Department must acquire data and provide services. Government and its contractors receive immunity from suit for SSA services.

Key Provisions

  • Creates Assistant Secretary for Space Commerce
  • Provides free public database of space objects
  • Provides basic SSA services to satellite operators at no charge
  • Establishes liability immunity for government SSA providers
  • Must not compete with private sector SSA products

Evidence Chain:

This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.

At a Glance

What This Bill Does

Establishes Commerce Department role in space situational awareness and traffic coordination, providing free public access to space object tracking data and basic collision avoidance services.

Who Benefits

  • Satellite operators
  • Commercial space industry
  • Public

Who Bears Costs

  • Commerce Department

Key Policy Areas

Space, Commerce, National Security

Primary Purpose

Establishes Commerce Department role in space situational awareness and traffic coordination, providing free public access to space object tracking data and basic collision avoidance services.

Policy Domains

Space Commerce National Security

Legislative Strategy

"Establish civil space traffic management at Commerce while protecting commercial market"

Legislative Progress

Passed Senate
Introduced Committee Passed
Jan 25, 2024

Mr. Cornyn (for himself, Mr. Peters, Ms. Sinema, Mrs. Blackburn, …

Jan 25, 2024 (inferred)

Passed Senate (inferred from es version)

Stakeholder Effects

cui bono?

How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.

Government
3 mentions across 3 clauses
+2 positive ?1 uncertain

Department of Commerce Office of Space Commerce, Office of Space Commerce

Defense
3 mentions across 3 clauses
+2 positive ?1 uncertain

Commercial space industry, Space launch providers, Space situational awareness service providers

Telecommunications
2 mentions across 2 clauses
+1 positive ?1 uncertain

Commercial satellite operators, Satellite operators and space companies

Professional Services
1 mention across 1 clause
+1 positive

Government contractors providing SSA services

2/3
sections analyzed
Full impact breakdown

Bill Structure & Actor Mappings

Who is "The Secretary" in each section?

Domains
Space Commerce
Actor Mappings
"the_secretary"
→ Secretary of Commerce
"the_assistant_secretary"
→ Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Space Commerce

We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.

Learn more about our methodology